Socket



Jan. 1925 1,522,991

H. WESTON I SOCKET Filed Oct. 4 1918 1%;: XXQ

Inventor Frederick H. Weston His JTttarney.

Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,522,991 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. WESTON, OF SGHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEC- TRIO COMPANY,.A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SOCKET.

- Application filed October 4, 1918. Serial No. 256,785.

State of New York, haveinvented certain newaud useful Improvements in Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention. relates to sockets for incandescent electric lamps and the like. It is my aim to make the socket simplev and rugged in construction; easy and economial to manufacture; convenient to install and connect; and free from liability of derange ment in use. Sockets constructed in accordanoe with my invention can be made not only suitable for use out of doors, exposed to the weather, but'at the same time of such neat and pleasing appearance as to be suitable for interior use in cases where appearance is of primeconsideration. The invention is adaptable tohigh candle power tungsten filament incandescent lamps containing nitrogen and operating at. very high efiiciency, where the amount of heat to be dissipated is so great as to expose the parts to exceptionally high temperatures and to high voltages,-.e. g.,1500 watt. lamps of as high as 600 Volts. How all these and other advantages can be obtained in connection with my invention will appear from the description hereinafter of the best embodiment known to me, while its scope will be indicated in my claims,

In the accompanying 1 drawing, Fig. 1 shows the device in axial section at a plane corresponding to the line 11 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary View at a plane corresponding to the line 22 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 3 is a View of the external casing of the socket as seen from beneath, the internal parts or structures being removed.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are corresponding views of the internal parts.

Fig. 7 is a view'of the whole socket as seen from beneath,i. e., looking into its open end.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the socket structure which carries the electrical parts is enclosed in an external metal casing 10 which has at its closed upper end an internally threaded collar 11 suita-bl secured by the fianging over of its reduce lower portion 12. The means shown for securing the socket structure in the cas ing 10 comprises a two-footed bracket piece 13 held by the flanged lower end of the collar 11, the socket structure being attached thereto bymeans of a couple of screws 14,

14 extending through its base portion 15 into the bracket (see Figs. 1, 2 and. 3). As shown, the baseportion 15 ofrthe socket structure is in a separate piece from the sleeve portion 16,the parts being made of porcelain, bisque, or other insulating material, and secured together by means of screwslZ, 17 (see Fig. 7 as hereinafter more fully described. On the lower side of the portion 15 is a projection 18 whose parallel sides are adapted to interengage and coact with those of an opening 19 1n the corresponding end of the sleeveportion 16 tovinsure assembling of the parts in prgppi' angular relation (see Figs. 2, 4:, 5, an

The device shown being intended for lamps with the usual screw base, the sock et structure is provided with a center contact 20 and a flanged screw-shell contact/21. The centercontact 20 is of ordinary design, consisting of a suitably embossed and bent piece of phosphor bronze or other suitable resilient metal, and is mounted in a shallow recess in the projection 18. A part 22 of strip brass or the like, suitably bent, extends through the opening 23 in the spring portion of the part 20 and is secured by a screw 24. The other end of the part 22 constitutes a binding post in electrical connection with the center contact 20, being provided with a screw 25 for the attachment of a current lead extending down from the space above the part 15 through an adjacent opening 26. In a depression in the lower surface of the part 15 is mounted a conductive terminal part 27, of brass or the like, having a binding post portion 28 adjacent an opening 29 for the passage of the other current lead downward from the space aforesaid. This part is of a general U shape, partially encircling the projection 18, and its ends have threaded holes 31, 31 as a means for the attachment of the sleeve part 16 to the bottom part 15, etc. The screw shell 21, of copper or other metal, fits in the sleeve part 16 and is held and electrically connected to the terminal part 27 by the screws 17,17 passing through the flange of the shell 21 and the inner end of the sleeve part 16 as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7.

It will be seen that the screws 17, 17 are easily accessible through the open lower end of the shell Structure comprising the sleeve 16 and the screw shell 21, and that by merely unscrewing them this structure is detached from the base 'part- 15 and its associated electrical parts, so that it can be lifted or dropped out of the casing 10. It will further be seen that when this is done the screws 14, 14 are made accessible in their recessed'seats in the part 15 through the 0 en lower end of said casing 12, and that" y unscrewing themthe whole base structure will be detached from the casing so as'to be easily removed. I

Sockets for heavy duty are'customarily connected torigid conduits 'or brackets through which the conductor 7 wires are threaded, and a few inchesof free wire ends for connecting purposes is allowed to proje'ct beyond the end of the conduit or brackct. When the socket is to be installed the sleeve and base structures are removed from the casing and the free wire ends threaded through the threaded collar 11 of the casing and the latter screwed home on the end of the conduit or bracket. The wire ends are'then threaded through holes 26 and-29 of the base and the latter inserted in the casing and fastened therein by the screws 14. The wire ends are then clipped to the desired length-for securance with their respective" binding screws 25 and 28.

The latter operation may be performed with comparative ease, for with the sleeve 16 and shell 21 out of the" way the binding screws are readily accessible to the hand and screw driver of the laborer. After the wire ends have been connected to the binding screws the sleeve 16 .and the shell 21 are inserted and connected in place by screws 17 It will be observed that the current-carrying parts of the socket are effectually housed in porcelain or correspondingly good insulation and that the insulated wires are not crowded or squeezed together between the base 15 and the upper part of the casing 10 or its threaded collar 11 as would be the case if it were necessary to connect the wires to the binding screws while those parts are disposed outside the casing and then to force the entire structure against the resistance of the wires to being .crimped and massed together, to the upper end of the casing and there secured perchance if not interfered with by the doubled and crossed wires.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, ls,

1. A socket comprising an insulating base, a center contact and bmding 'post secured tosaid base, a 'bifurcatedtenninal art eX- tending on oppositexsides'of sai centercontact and secured to said base, afla nged screw shell, an insulating sleeve having an apertured end wall surrounding the sides and flange of said shell, and screws electrically and mechanically connecting detachably said shell flange to said bifurcated terminal.

2. A socket comprising a bell-shapedcasing, an insulating base detachably secured in said casing and provided with spaced apertures for the passage therethrough of the current leads,a center contact andbinding post secured to said base adjacent one of said apertures, abifurcated terminal secured tosaid base adjacent "the other of said apertures, a flanged screw shell,"'an insulating sleeve surrounding and carried by said shell, and screws electrically and mechanically connecting detachably said 7 shell flange and said bifurcatedterminal.

. 3. A socket comprising a'bell-shapedcasing, an insulating base detachably'secured in said casing and provided with spaced apertures for the passage therethrough of the current leads and a central projection between said apertures, a center contact mounted on said central projection and having a-binding. post ad acent one of said apertures, a bifurcated terminal extending on opposite sides of said central projection and provided with a binding post adjacent 

